Sunday, May 5, 2019

Jesus Loves Me? by Candee Fick




“The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with his love. He will rejoice over you with singing.” ~ Zephaniah 3:17

As a child, I recall singing “Jesus loves me” every week in Sunday school. But as I grew, my head knowledge of this profound truth was shaken by the onslaught of peer pressure from the popular crowd and the physical struggles of being a skinny late-bloomer in an image-driven culture.

Suddenly, I felt alone, inept, anxiety-ridden, and worthless. Jesus loves me? Yeah, right. And what difference would that make anyway? After all, I wasn’t anything special.

Then came the words to a different song that tugged on my heart. “Amazed” by Phillips, Craig, and Dean told of a God who danced and sang over me. Who painted the skies and yet held me in His hands. Whose great, deep, and wide love left me simply amazed.

The lyrics for that song came from a verse in Zephaniah with a pounding anthem that yes, God loves me. I am not alone, for He is with me. I might feel inept, but He is mighty. I might feel worthless, but He takes great delight in me. All my fears and worries are quieted under the weight of His love. And then to cap it all off, God rejoices (literally whirls around or dances with joy) and sings over me.

It’s a Heavenly serenade. And once my heart finally embraced the truth, it changed everything.

Have you fully grasped the depth of God’s love for you? When did head knowledge about God become a heart-embraced truth?

(This particular verse became the driving force and theme behind my Wardrobe series. In Dance Over Me, Dani discovered that God had been working behind the scenes to give her a family. In Focus On Love, Liz embraced a new dream and her striving ended once she accepted the gift of God’s sacrificial love. And in Sing a New Song, Gloria is surprised to learn that God sings over her…and learns to sing for an Audience of One.)


Candee Fick is a multipublished, award-winning author. She is also the wife of a high school football coach and the mother of three children, including a daughter with a rare genetic syndrome. When not busy writing, editing, or coaching other authors, she can be found cheering on the home team at sporting events, exploring the great Colorado outdoors, indulging in dark chocolate, and savoring happily-ever-after endings through a good book.

Social media and buying links

CandeeFick.com
https://www.facebook.com/Author.Candee.Fick
https://twitter.com/CandeeFick
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/candee-fick

Kindle for Sing a New Song: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QHYNTJC/
Print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1645260550/

BLURB:
The pampered diva is about to meet her match.

Songbird Gloria Houghton has always needed to be the center of attention, but the spotlight has shifted. Seeking fame and a fresh start, she finds a new stage in Branson, Missouri…only to risk being replaced by a manipulative rival. If Gloria can’t be the star, who is she?

Jack-of-all-trades Nick Sherwood is just one leaf on a vast family tree that includes a restaurant chef, hotel owners, and even the headline act at a family-owned theater. He’s seen how fame can blind a person with jealousy and is more than content to stay in the background thank you very much. If only he wasn’t so fascinated--and irritated--by the newest addition to the staff.

After a disaster of a first impression and financial difficulties land Gloria in the humblest of jobs—with Nick as her boss—it might be time for her to learn to sing a new song.

If you like strong families, country music, and redeemed villains, then you’ll love this next chapter in The Wardrobe series by Candee Fick.

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